Criminal mischief in Colorado
You were charged with criminal mischief in Colorado. The State claims you damaged another person’s real or personal property. That is an accusation. The Reisch Law Firm defends these cases from Westminster. Call (303) 291-0555.
What this charge means
Criminal mischief is the damage-to-property charge. Broken windows, keyed cars, smashed phones, and damaged apartments show up often. The State must prove you were the person who caused the damage in the way the statute requires, and that the property belonged to someone else (or that you had no right to damage it).
Value of the damage can affect how the case is charged. Do not invent a class from a repair estimate you saw online. The complaint controls. A domestic-violence designation can attach when the relationship facts fit.
How these cases usually start
A call after an argument, a landlord report, or a neighbor complaint. Photos and estimates become exhibits. Sometimes the same incident produces assault or harassment counts too.
Issues that decide these cases
- Who did the damage. Presence at a scene is not proof.
- Ownership and permission. Shared property and breakups complicate files.
- Amount of damage. Estimates get challenged.
- Companion DV counts. Orders and no-contact conditions follow quickly.
Penalties (confirm before you rely on this)
The class of this offense and the jail or prison range depend on the current statute, the date of the alleged offense, and any sentence enhancers on the complaint. We will not publish a class or a year range on this page as if it were locked 2026 law. Your charging document and the current Colorado Revised Statutes control.
Enhancers can include prior convictions, a domestic-violence designation, a protection-order count, a weapon fact, or consecutive sentences on other counts. Probation eligibility is not automatic. Past results do not guarantee future results. This page is not a promise about your sentence.
Court process in plain English
After an arrest, advisement is usually the first court date. The judge covers rights and bond. Advisement is not arraignment. You do not have to enter a plea there.
The district attorney decides whether to file, add counts, drop counts, or decline. Felony cases that start in county court may have a preliminary-hearing track before district-court arraignment. Discovery, motions, and trial setting follow if the case does not resolve.
Bond is a court order, not a finding of guilt. Conditions can include no contact, no weapons, testing, and GPS. Violating a condition can create a new filing. If you have questions about a condition, call the firm before you guess.
Why people call this firm on this charge
People call because their charge is listed, because they need a trial lawyer, or because a family member is in custody and the next court date is soon. Wrongfully accused or guilty as charged, the job is the same: test the State’s proof and protect the record.
The Reisch Law Firm works from one office in Westminster and takes cases around Colorado. We try cases in Colorado state court and in federal court when the case goes there. Call (303) 291-0555.
Related Colorado charges
What to do now
Call (303) 291-0555. Tell us the county and what the complaint or ticket says. The Reisch Law Firm defends Colorado criminal cases from one office in Westminster and takes cases around the state.
Call (303) 291-0555
The Reisch Law Firm
1490 West 121st Avenue, Suite 202, Westminster, CO 80234
Phone: (303) 291-0555
Back to Colorado Criminal Defense (A-Z)
Past results do not guarantee future results. Attorney advertising.
This page is general information. It is not legal advice and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. The charging document and the current Colorado Revised Statutes control.
